Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

December 16, 1924

Arthur Brisbane, in his daily column in the N.Y. “American” of yesterday, devotes several paragraphs to the subject of immigration. There are millions upon millions of acres of land in this country, Mr. Brisbane asserts, which need only human intelligence and interest to make them what they should be, and to cultivate all this we must have more and more immigrants. He also suggests that each state should be given the right to bring in as many immigrants as it chooses.

“Congressmen who vote to shut immigration out of the United States, refusing admission to gardeners, farmers, fruit growers, good workers of all kinds that would gladly come, ought to cross New Mexico and Arizona on foot. Then they should take the trip by rail and then by flying machine. And with them should be somebody asking every five minutes: ‘Do you think this nation is really overcrowded?’

“We took this land and California from the Mexicans. Did we take it from them to keep it empty and unused? Why not give to each separate State the right to bring in immigrants if it chooses, as many as it needs and cares to make welcome, letting each State be responsible for keeping within its own borders for a definite number of years the immigrants that it brings?

“This nation has grown from nothing to 112,000,000 within two hundred years, thanks to immigration. Is it to stop now and stagnate in smug. dog-in-the-manger selfishness?

“Why talk of a world overcrowded? What is overcrowding? This train. as it flies along toward the Pacific Ocean. would in a few minutes cross at its widest point little Staten Island, in New York Harbor. AND ALL THE HUMAN BEINGS ON EARTH COULD STAND ON STATEN ISLAND AT THE SAME TIME. How many do you think could live happily in these unusued spaces?

“There is no real wealth but human intelligence, and both are barred from this country, ‘home of the free’ but just now ruled in immigration legislation by unintelligent selfishness.”

ARE THE JEWISH MILLIONAIRES INDIFFERENT?

The “Jewish World” of Cleveland, in its issue of Dec. 12 points out that while Jews collectively, {SPAN}##{/SPAN} a people, give more to charity than non-Jews, {SPAN}##{/SPAN}lthy American Jewish individuals have failed to give large sums for Jewish charity such as have been given by Rockieller. Eastman, Duke. Carnegie. etc. for various non-Jewish institutions.

“What has happened to our wealthy Jews who distinguished themselves at all times in all countries by their generosity and their readiness to give large sums!” asks the “Jewish World”. “Why have our Jewish millionaires in America become so cold, indifferent and reserved.”

CHAMBERLAIN VS THE MANDATES COMMISSION

Austin Chamberlain. Foreign Secretary in the British cabinet, gave a dignified vigorous answer to the Mandates Commission’s anti-Jewish report on Palestine, says the “Day” of Dec. 12.

“Mr. Chambertain took the correct tone and it is very gratifying to us that he, the representative of the British government, holds such a high opinion of the achievements of the Jews in Palestine. We must Mr. Chamberlain’s words will serve as the best reply to the falsehoods in the report of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations.”

SAMUEL GOMPERS

The death of Samnel Gompers has called forth widespread comment in the press of the country, the fact that he was a Jews being mentioned not only by the Jewish but likewise by the majority of the non-Jewish papers. It is generally considered that his racial characteristics helped him greatly in the achievement of his success as a powerful labor leader and in his understanding of the American spirit.

Thus, the N. Y. “American” of yesterday dwelling on Gompers’ last words, “God bless our American institutions, may they grow better day by day”, says:

“This English Jew, born in a London slum quarter, became an ardent American patriot, like many others of his kind.

“Those born in other lands who have known severe hardship and suffering are better able to understand the blessings of liberty and the natural advantages of the United States than many born under its flag, and often they are more sincere patriots than native-born citizens.”

The “Forward”, Jewish Socialist daily, while it points out that Gompers was never a Socialist, nevertheless pays high tribute to his abilities and his lifelong, unselfish devotion to the cause of the American laborers.

“All his life Gompers was connected with American workers”, says the “Forward”. “He lived in the circles of real Americans. Yet everyone knew him as a Jew. He spoke of himself as a Jew. And it is remarkable that this did not in the least hinder him in his great work. On the contrary: in a certain sense it enhanced his personality, his magnetism.

“The death of Samuel Gompers is a tremendous, terrible loss to the labor movement, to labor’s prestige. Gompers lived only for one thing, to bring more happiness, more sunshine into the midst of the working class. He had no other ambitions, no other aspirations.”

The “Day” says Gompers was a unique figure and compares his death to the collapse of a mighty tree.

“Gompers first became a national figure and later became an international figure. Furthermore: he became the symbol of a specific tendency in labor-politics. This German-Dutch Jew instinctively understood the American worker; and he had a sense of reality. He has helped America and the workers of America more than many ‘great’ politicians and statesmen in this country. And he deserves a place in the pantheon of American history.”

ROME VS. JERUSALEM

The war of the Vatican against Zionism and the Jews who are rebuilding Palestine is due to the traditional philosophy of the Roman church that the Jews must continue, like the legendary Ahasuerus, to wander over the world without a home and to the fear lest a rejuvenated Jewish nation in Palestine may put in the shadow the glory of the Roman church, says the “Jewish Daily News” editorially on Dec. 10.

“Professor Chajes remarked very profoundly the other day”, says the “Jewish Daily News”, “that the Vatican is less anxious about the present than about the future. The Catholic leaders fear the future, the day when the Jews will become again a great spiritual power. They are afraid lest there be created in Jerusalem something that will dim the resplendance of Catholic Rome.”